Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o was in San Francisco in November to launch his second memoir, In the House of the Interpreter, at the City Lights Bookstore. Wa Thiong’o spoke about how this memoir follows on from his first one, Dreams in a Time of War, which dealt with his childhood growing up against the backdrop of war, in the first instance World War Two and then the Mau Mau Uprising.

Amid all this he was pursuing an education, encouraged by his mother who couldn’t read or write but would supervise his homework. He spoke about how even when he would receive 100% for his work she would still ask him if that was the best he could do. Wa Thiong’o said that this question remains with him today and that he has tried to do his best in writing In the House of the Interpreter.